Building structure



June 4, 1946.

W- C. SMITH BUILDING STRUCTURE :s Sheets-Sheei 1 Filed April 18, 1943 'INVENTOR.

WARD GU NTON SMITH v BY ai% M11 ATTORNEYS June 4, 1946. w. c. SMITH BUILDING STRUCTURE Filed April 19', 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

WARD cumon smm ATTORNEYS June 4, 1946. w. c. SMITH 2,491,588

BUILDING STRUCTURE Filed April 19, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR. WARD CLINTON SMITH ATTORNEYS Patented June 4, 1946 2,401,588 BUILDING STRUCTURE Ward. Clinton Smith,

Detroit, Mich., assignor to Stout Houses, Incorporated, Detroit, Micln, a

corporation of Michigan Application April 19, 1943, Serial No. 483,636

This invention relates generally to building structures the type that maybe transported or shipped by the manufacturer in unassembled or knockdown condition and may b readily and quickly assembled by unskilled labor wherever they are to be erected or used, and refers more particularly to leakproof joints between adjacent.

roof sections of such structures.

This application is related to my copendmg application Serial No. 520,491, filed January 31, 1944.

to provide a structure of the type described wherein tongues or other suitable portions of adjacent roof sections cooperate with a groove in a common support for said sectionsto position the sections close together to providea relatively tight joint.

Another object is to provide a roof structure wherein a batten or protecting strip covers the joint mentioned and cooperates with the root board or sheathing to protect the joint from the weather elements.

Another object is to provide a roof structure wherein the roof board or sheathing upon opposite sides of the joint between the roof sections is provided with primary and secondary grooves to catch and drain of! water and thereby prevent it from reaching the joint between the batten or cover strip aforesaid.

Another object is to provide a roof structure wherein the battens or cover strips are arched on the undersides thereof so that they straddle or span the joint between the roof sections and Claims. (CI. 108-1) One oi the essential objects of the invention is I the secondary grooves in the roof board'of said sections, and have relatively sharp edges at opposite sides of the arches that are received within and are adapted to bite into the bottoms of the primary grooves, preferably midway between the side edges thereof, to provide tight joints between the parts.

Another object is. to provide a roof structure wherein suitable screws, double-headed nails and the like may be employed to hold the battens or cover strips in proper assembled position upon the roof boards of the sections.

Another object is to provide a structure that is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, easy to erect and eflicient in use.

Other objects, advantages and novel details of construction of this invention will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a 2 building structure embodying my invention, with parts broken away and in section;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 4; is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the structure illustrated in Figure 1, with parts broken away:

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the upright wall sections;

Figure '1 is a perspective view of one of the roof sections, with parts broken away and in section;

Figure 8 is a view of a slight modification:

Figure 9 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the structure illustrated in Figure 8; v

Figure 10-is a fragmentary perspective view of another modification.

Referring now to the drawings, A and B respectively are adjacent upright side panel sections, C is an upright post or frame member between the upright sections A and B, D and E respectively are rafters or truss members, F and H respectively are adjacent roof sections of a building structure embodying my invention.

As shown, the upright pane] sections A and B respectively have spaced substantially parallel sheets Ill and II respectively of insulating material, upright edge members l2, and horizontal edge members l3. The sheets Hi and H may be of any suitable size and thickness to provide a sturdy weather-tight siding, while the edge memhers I! and I3 may be formed of any suitable materialsuch as wood and are rigidly secured to said sheets.

Preferably, portions ll of the upright edge members I! extend between and constitute spacers for the sheets in and II, while other portions l5- extend transversely across the upright edges of the sheets and are provided throughout their upright outer edges with hook-shaped attaching portions l6. Likewise, a portion ll of the horizontal edge members 13 extends between and constitutes a spacer for the sheets l0 and H.

The upright post C is between the edge members i2 of the adjacent panel sections: A and B and is provided throughout opposite upright edge thereof with hook-shaped portions l8 with which the hook-shaped portions 16 of the edge members ii of the adjacent panel sections have an interlocking or dovetail connection. Screws fragmentary front elevational and H of said panel sections.

elongated plates 20 which are adapted tooverlap' the outer surfaces of the edge members l2 of the panel sections A and B to maintain the parts in assembled relation, as illustrated in 'Figures 1 and 3 respectively.

Preferably the plates 20 are substantially equal in width to the outer surface of the post C and are adapted to be turned on the screws l9 so that such plates may register with the outer surface of the post C and thus be out of the way during assembly or disassembly of the side sec- -tions A and B with the post. However, when the hook-shaped portions l6 of theedge members l2 of the panel sections'have been interand B, the lower transversely extending members 33 of the roof sections are provided in spaced relation to the depending facing boards 34 with depending enlargements 35 that are preferably equal in thickness to and form continuations of the lower panels 3| of the roof sections and cooperate with the facing boards 34 to provide inverted channels 31 for receiving the upper edges locked with the hook-shaped portions I8 of the I post, the plates may then be turned on the screws H! from the upright inoperative position in registry with the outer surface of said post to a substantially horizontal position as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 to overlap the outer surfaces of the edge members l2 of the side sections to thereby hold the parts in interlocked re- I lation.

If desired, suitable strips 2| and 22 respectively may be employed upon the outer'and inner'sides of the post C to cover the connections or joints between said post and the adjacent panel sections A and B. Preferably ,such' strips 2| and 22 are secured by nails o'r other suitable fastening elements to the edge members l2 of the panel sections and are suiiiciently wide to overlap adjacent upright edge of the insulating sheets I0 The outer strip 2| has elongated recesses 23 for the plates 20 and such recesses extend transversely of the strip 2| so as to hold the plates 20 from accidentally turning on the "screws l9 after being arranged in overlapping relation to the panel sections A and B. If desired, the inner strips 22 maybe nailed or glued to the post C so as to form a rigid part thereof.

outer strips 2| may be fastened to the post C by means of screws or other "suitable securing elements which preferably engage the post at points between the vertically spaced plates 20.

The rafters or truss members D and E are carried by the post C and support the roof sections F and H. Preferably the lower truss member D extends substantially horizontally between and is rigidly secured to the post C at opposite sides of the building, while the upper truss members E incline downwardly from a central ridge memher (not shown) to opposite ends of the'horizontal truss member D and are rigidly secured thereto.

The roof sections F and H are supported in inclined position upon and projectlaterally in opposite directions 'from the uppermost truss sections A and B.

Preferably each roof section has upper and Also the member E and overhang the upright side panel I of the upright side panel sections A and B and longitudinally extending groove 39 in the uppek edge of the upper truss member E so that a relatively tight Joint is provided between the roof sections.

A batten or strip J covers the joint between the roof sections F and H and cooperates with the up-' per panels 30 of said sections to protect the joint between said sections. from the weather elements. Preferably, the upper panels 30 of the roof sections are provided upon opposite sides of the joint beneath the batten J with primary and secondary grooves 40 and 4| respectively to catch and drain off water and thereby prevent it from reaching the joint between the sections F and H. Also, the underside of the batten J is arched so that it straddles the joint between the roof sections and the secondary grooves 4| in the roof panels 30 and has relatively sharp edges 42 at opposite sides of the arch thatare received within and are adapted to bite into the bottoms of the primary grooves 40, preferably midway between the side edges thereof, to provid a tight joint bepanel sections F and H, and other units or subassemblies of my strupture may be made to proper specifications in one place and then shipped in knockdown or unassembled condition to another place where they can be easily and quickly set up! and erected, by unskilled labor.- By. using the dovetail connections between the panel sections A and B and post C it is possible to hold the perimeter of the structure to exact dimensions without the use of a separate fixed frame and without the need of any extra horizontal members within or upon the outer sides of the panel sections.

Due to the dovetail connections between the upright panel sections A and B and post C, and the connections between the truss members E and the roof panel sections F and H, the respective panel sections will be held closely together so that the joints are tight and self-sealing. In this connection it will be noted that the interlocked or dovetail connections between adjacent upright sections A and B and the post C effectively prevent the weather elements from entering the structure through such connections. Also, the interlocked or dovetail connections between adjacent roof sections F and H and truss member E insure a tight joint'between said roof sections. The batten J covers the joint between the roof sections F and H and fits into the primary grooves 40 in the roof panels 30. Hence the batten. effectively protects the joint between the roof sections from the weather elements. Any water or moisture on the roof sections F and H would be caught reaching the joint between tween the roof sections F by and would drain oif'in either the primary or the secondary grooves 40 and ll respectively and therefore would be effectively prevented from the roof sections.

The present. construction is primarily intended for the erection of relatively small and-inexpensive buildings, dwellings and the like, such as those now being used by the government for housing soldiers and workmen. However, it is apparcut that many of the features of my construction may be employed inside large buildings such as factories during the erection of temporary or permanent rooms, offices and the like. Moreover, buildings of various sizes embodying th features of my construction may be erected inasmuch as the over-all number of upright side sections such as A'and B and inclined roOf sections such as F and H may be varied according to the size of the buildings desired.

It will also be noted that the structure has a high insulation value due to the double insulating sheet construction of the panel sections and to the tight joints between the parts. Hence, constructions embodying these features may be used very satisfactorily in either warm or cold climates.

If desired, the inclined truss members E may extend outwardly through the upright side panel sections A and B and facing board 34, as illustrated in Figures 8 and 9, so that the groove 39 in the truss members may receive and carry to the outside of the building anywater or. moisture that might seep downwardly through the joint 50 beand H. Thus, the truss members not only serve as structural elements for supporting the roof sections but also as supplemental drainage means for water on the roof, in case it should overflow the drainage grooves 40 and II and seep downwardly between the sections, as aforesaid.

In Figure 10 I have illustrated another modification wherein the supporting truss E for the adjacent roof sections F and H is provided at opposite side edges instead of at the center there of with grooves 39' for receiving the tongues 38' of the roof sections. In this construction a laminated batten 60 is secured to the truss E between the upper panels 30' of the roof sections,

and the joints between said panels and batten are covered by a suitable strip 6|. 7

If desired, the upper surfaces of the panels 30' may be provided adjacent the batten G0 drainage grooves such as 40 and 4| respectively illustrated in Figure 1, or may be plain. In either event, any moisture or water leaking between the roof sections and batten 60 will be caught by the underlying grooves 39 and directed thereby to the exterior of the adjacent upright wall 62 of the building.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a roof structure, a pair of a fiacent panel type roof sections, a solid supporting rafter beneath said sections at the adjacent edges thereof and having an upwardly opening substantially V- shaped groove within and extending substantially throughout the length of its upper edge, each section having spaced top and bottom panels and spacer strips at the several edges thereof, the bottom panel of each roof section being of smaller area than the top panel thereof, the spacer strips at the adjacent edges of said sections having grooves receiving the adjacent side walls of the V-shaped groove in said rafter and having depending wedge-shaped tongues dissupporting rafter the V-shaped groove in said rafter, the cross sectional construction of said V-shaped groove and engaging tongues being such as to maintain the adjacent edges of the top panels of said sections in edge to edge relation and to maintain the adjacent edges of the bottom panels of said sections in abutting relation against opposite sides of said rafter to reinforce the same and to conceal the tongue and groove connections between the adjacent spacer strips and rafters.

2. In a roof structure, a pair of panel type: roof sections arranged in edge to edge relation, a solid beneath said sections at the meeting edges thereof and having an upwardly opening groove within and extending substantially throughout the length of its upper edge, each section having spaced top and bottom panels and spacer strips at the several edges thereof, the bottom panel of each roof section being of smaller area than the top panel thereof, the spacer strips at the meeting edges of said sections having grooves receiving the adjacent side walls of the groove in said rafter and having depending tongues disposed in abutting face to face relation within the groove in said rafter, the cross sectional formation of said groove and engaging tongues being such as to maintain said sections in edge to edge relation and to maintain the adjacent edges of the bottom panels of said sections in abutting relation against opposite sides of said rafter to conceal the tongue and groove connections between the adjacent spacer strips and rafter.

3. In a roof structure, a pair of adjacent panel type roof sections, a solid supporting rafter beneath said sections at the adjacent edges thereof and having an upwardly opening substantially V- shaped groove within and extending substantially throughout the length of its upper edge, each section having spaced top and bottom panels and spacer strips at the several edges thereof, the

. bottom panel of each roof section being of smaller with area than the top panel thereof, the spacer strips at the adjacent edges of said sections resting on the upper edges of the adjacent side walls of the V-shaped groove in said rafter and having depending wedge-shaped tongues arranged side by side within and substantially filling the V-shaped groove in said rafter, the cross sectional construction of said V-shaped groove and engaging tongues being such as to maintain the adjacent edges of the top panels of said sections in edge to edge relation and to maintain the adjacent edges of the bottom panels of said sections in abutting relation against opposite sides of said rafter to conceal the tongue and groove connections between the adjacent spacer strips and rafter.

4. In a roof structure, a pair of panel type roof sections arranged in edge to edge relation, a solid supporting rafter beneath said sections at the meeting'edges thereof and having an upwardly opening groove within and extending substantially throughout the length of its upper edge, each section having spaced top and bottom panels and spacer strips at the several edges thereof, the bottom panel of each roof section being of smaller area than the top panel thereof, the spacer strips at the meeting edges of said sections resting on the upper edges of the adjacent side walls of the groove in said rafter and having depending tongues arranged side by side within and substantially filling the groove in said rafter, the crosssectonal formation of said groove and engaging tongues being such as to maintain said posed in abutting face to face relation within sections in edge to edge relation and to maintain 7 the adjacent edges oi the bottom panels oisaid sections in abutting relation against opposite sides oi saidvrafter to conceal the tongue and groove connections between the adjacent spacer strips and rai'ter. a

5. In a building structure, a pair of substantiallyflat panels arranged edg to edge, each panel having spaced top and" bottom plate-like portions and spacer strips at the several edges thereof, the bottom portion oi each panel being i of smaller area than the top'porticn thereof, a

separate supporting frame member for said 'panels-located at the meeting edges thereof between said bottom portions and having an upwardly opening substantially v-shaped and extending roove within substantially throughout the. length of its upper edge, the spacer stripe at the nections between the adjacent spacer strips and amass:

meeting edges of said panels resting on the upper edges of the adjacent side walls of the V-shaped groove in said frame member and having depending tongues arranged side by sidewithin and substantially filling the V-shaped groove in said frame member, the cross sectional formation of said V-shaped groove and engaglngtongues be-- ing such as to maintain the top portions of said panels in edge to edge relation over the adjacent spacer strips and to maintain the adjacent edges of the bottom portions of said panels in abutting relation against opposite sides or said frame member, whereby the tongue and groove coni'rame member are reinforced and concealed.

WARD CLINTON SMITH. 

